Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, at the outset I would like to say I am going to support this motion. I spoke in my Member’s statement about the need for conservation and, in my view, it needs to be the basis of any resolution to this particular disagreement. It should be the only reason that we are discussing this particular issue. The caribou herd, in my view, is in distress and in order to preserve it from extinction there needs to be a solution that considers conservation.
I think we’ve managed to get to a place where we have groups on two different sides and the sides can’t agree. I think we’ve reached there perhaps unnecessarily, but we’re there and we have to deal with the situation we have. I think we’re in danger of becoming even more entrenched than we are right now. I think people are digging in their heels, to a certain extent, and I think we need to get our heels out of the dirt and we need to be as open and invite as many new ideas as possible.
Much of the concern, that I see anyway, comes from the consultation processes that took place. I know the department has given us a listing of all the consultations which took place and I appreciate the fact that the department, I think, has worked fairly hard to meet with various groups and to try to get information to them to try to discuss it with them
and to try to reach consensus. But part of the problem, I think, stems from the definition of consultation. Differing people have differing definitions and differing understanding of what consultation is. I think that has created some of our difficulties.
Another problem for me is we have several areas of the NWT who have renewable resource boards. They’ve been established for quite some time and those boards have been working very hard and have managed to reach agreements on how to manage the herds in their area. Those areas are not really, I don’t think, in danger and they are actually doing quite well. They have caribou management in place and they have dealt with the herds. The herds are stabilized and those that are in great danger are actually on the increase, I believe.
Here in the Akaitcho territory, we don’t have any renewable resource board and I think it’s created a different situation. It’s created a difficult situation because we don’t have a specific board to deal with the renewable resources in this area. The Wekeezhii board for sure is there, but it doesn’t encompass the Yellowknives territory, It makes it a complicated and a difficult process, and I think I said that already.
I believe the consultation took place and I think the department, as I said, did a good effort in trying to do the consultation, but the thing that got missed was the agreement. So consultation took place, but agreement did not take place and I think that’s what has brought us to this particular state of the affairs that we’re in today.
I spoke in my statement about the need to find middle ground and I firmly believe that there is a middle ground out there. I firmly believe that if parties on both sides are willing, we will find that middle ground. We will find a spot on this disagreement map where both sides can agree.
The motion that’s in front of us calls for a meeting and I think that’s what is required, We do need a meeting to find that middle ground, but it’s only going to work if people come to that meeting with an open mind, with a willingness to consider any and all possible solutions. Whether they be totally out of this world or not, they have to be put on the table and considered, and as a group, those possible solutions need to be considered. If they are discarded, they’re discarded, but we will be left with one solution that is going to work.
The motion states further that the GNWT look at alternative measures to resolve the issue. I think for me that’s the crux of the issue. That we, again, with an open mind, consider all possibilities. To me, the words “alternative measures” require us to look outside the box and consider what we can.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I am in support of the motion. I think it goes to the actions that we need to take to solve this problem and I urge all Members to support it. Thank you.